This invention is directed to automated poultry processing systems. More specifically, this invention is directed to a novel poultry processing machine for cutting poultry or chicken hind quarters into halves.
In conventional automated poultry processing systems, individual chickens are transported through the poultry processing system by moveable shackles or stirrups that are connected to a continuous treadmill. The hocks of each chicken are held in each shackle and the chicken hangs from the shackle with legs upward. As the treadmill moves, the chickens are advanced through various stages of the poultry processing system, such as stages for processing into portions or parts.
As the chicken is directed to portion or parts processing stages, the remaining portion of the chicken, commonly referred to as the hind quarter, remains in place in the moving shackles. The chicken hind quarter consists of the chicken's tail portion and two legs (with feet removed). At this point in conventional poultry processing systems, the chicken hind quarters are manually removed at a cutting stage and cut into halves using leg quarter processors or rotary table saws. The chicken hind quarter halves must then be either dropped onto conveyor belts or packaged. For instance, in poultry processing systems employing automated bagging systems for the hind quarter halves, an operator removes the hind quarters from the shackle line and places them into a leg processor. The automated bagging system receives the hind quarter halves from the leg quarter processor and bags them. It is clear that this cutting stage in existing poultry processing systems suffers from a number of drawbacks.
Because the chicken hind quarters must be manually removed from the moving shackles before being halved, time is lost at this cutting stage, operators are required and there can be cutting errors. Safety to operators at this cutting stage is also a concern.
It is an object, therefore, of the present invention to overcome these obvious drawbacks in existing poultry processing systems.
It is another object of the present invention to provide an improved apparatus and method for cutting chicken hind quarters that can be incorporated into existing poultry processing systems.
It is yet another object of the present invention to provide an improved apparatus and method for cutting chicken hind quarters that allows a high degree of control over the end product to be maintained.
It is still another object of the present invention to provide an improved apparatus and method for cutting chicken hind quarters that is compatible with automated deloading and packaging processors.
The present invention is directed to an automated poultry processing system having a novel chicken hind quarter cutting stage that does not require the individual chicken hind quarters to be removed from the moving treadmill before or after halving the chicken hind quarters. Each chicken hind quarter is placed into a moveable shackle including a rotatable shackle assembly. Each rotatable shackle assembly includes a cam plate that, when moved into contact with a stationary cam member, causes the shackle assembly to rotate 90.degree., thereby rotating the chicken hind quarter by 90.degree.. The chicken hind quarter then moves into contact with a guide member that positions the chicken hind quarter for subsequent cutting by a rotary saw. The chicken hind quarter remains in contact with the guide member until the saw has cut the chicken hind quarter into halves, thereby facilitating a precise cut of the chicken hind quarter. The chicken hind quarter halves, which are still in the moving shackle assemblies, then may proceed to later stages of the poultry processing system.
In a further aspect of the invention, the chicken hind quarter cutting stage further includes a second cam member that rotates the rotatable shackle assemblies back 90.degree. to their original positions upon exiting this stage of the poultry processing system.